Book “insanely simple” by Ken Segall

Simplicity doesn’t spontaneously spring to life with the right combination of molecules, water, and sunlight. It needs a champion – someone, who’s willing to stand up for its principles and strong enough to resist the overtures of Simplicity’s evil twin: Complexity.

Think Brutal

Blunt is Simplicity. Meandering is Complexity.
Telling how-it-is, truth is always prevails. Just be brutally honest and never hold back. Demand same from those you work with.

Clarity propels an organization. Not occasional clarity but pervasive, 24hour, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners clarity.
In Apple’s world, every manager has to be a ruthless enforcer of high standards.

Though it can make people uncomfortable, or make them say unflattering things behind your back, you cant let yourself be talked into going along with something when you know it can be better. Ever. Your challenge is to become unbending when it comes to enforcing your standards. Mercilessly so. If you submit and approve only the work you believe in 100 percent, you own something that no one can take away from you: integrity.

Think Small

One of Simplicity most important rules: Start with small groups of smart people – and keep them small.
The idea is pretty basic: Everyone in the room should be there for a reason. Either you critical for the meeting or you’re not. Everyone in the room must be an essential participant. Spectators are not welcome.

The quality of work resulting from a project increases in direct proportion to the degree of involvement by the ultimate decision maker.

One of the most important things Apple does is trust itself. This is the problem that most big companies face. Their processes have become so institutionalized, they’re incapable of altering their own behavior – even if the benefits of change are staring them right in the face. It boils down to this: When process is king, ideas will never be.

Think Minimal

“Innovation is saying no to a thousand things”

Being complicated is easy. Its simplicity that requires serious work. Minimizing product lines and consolidation target audiences requires an organization that’s willing to take a long, hard look at itself. And it never happens by itself. Simplicity needs a champion.

The reality is that providing too many choices is a quick way to drive people to confusion. Minimizing is about being both smart and clear. It sometimes takes strength to make the necessary changes, but in the end it creates more effective companies – and more effective leaders.

Apple’s approach embraced the idea that i’s okay to make a mistake, that it’s better to shoot for the stars and fall short on occasion than to burden itself with processes that drain the creativity from its ads.

Steve Jobs looked at pretty much everything with the idea of cutting it down to its essence, whether its was a new product or a new ad. He had an instant allergic reaction to any suggestion that might add a layer of complication – like a focus group.

Those who believe in simplicity believe that good ideas need to be protected from whose who would do them damage. The best way to do this is to minimize the processes through which these ideas must travel.

When in doubt, minimize.

Think Motion

“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time”.

Aim realistically high. i.e don’t overreach - it’s important to achieve greatness, but your project has to end on time and deliver that you’ve promised.

Never stop moving. The project begins on day one and should consume people from the get-go. No time-outs allowed. Only when people are kept in constant motion do they stay focused with the right kind of intensity. Work isn’t supposed to be easy; its supposed to be gratifying.

Think Iconic

Steve approved all if “Think Different” campaign with great relish – and, of course, without testing any of the ads beforehand. In his heart he knew this work would resonate with the intended audience. With no time to spare as Apple tried to rebuild, he had no interest in looking before he leaped. He would certainly not let a focus group dictate the message Apple would broadcast to the world.

Think phrasal

Best way to make yourself or your company look smart is to express an idea simply and with perfect clarity. Using simple sentences and simple words.

Simple and natural names stick with people, while jargons and model numbers don’t.

I rely on a philosophy i learned long ago from a wise man in advertising. It was “As long as you’ve got new ideas to share, you are free to re-present the old one.”

One of the downsides of Simplicity is that it travels with a curse. That is sometimes it just seems too easy. It might just look obvious.

Think Casual

Simplicity gains power through brevity. Its the direct statement, not the meandering rationalization thereof.

Simplicity is in a hurry. It wants to cut to the chase and concentrate on the important stuff. Much of what you’re about to say is likely superfluous. Those who know how to communicate with brevity are the ones who come across as smarter.

In many ways, a formal presentation creates a barrier. At the end of the day, most businesses come down to relationships. A less formal presentation with honest debate is the way to strengthen your relationships – and get better results.

Steve Jobs considered most meeting to be brainstorming sessions. The best approach with him was to just lay the facts on the table and start the discussion. That was the time to express your opinion and push for the conclusion you believed in.

Think Human

Human-speak is a hallmark of Simplicity. Its a center in all Apple communications. Technology not spoken here.

Most of the time, when clients ask for humanity, they’re really asking to see images of people. But what determines the humanity in a company’s messages is tone – which is the combines effect of the words and images it chooses to use. And a human presence in imagery is absolutely one way to add humanity, but words can be every bit as human.

In Steve Jobs mind, it was Apple’s job to dream up the things that people can’t imagine. He knew that once they lived with a great product, they wouldn’t be able to imagine living without it. So focus groups are really aren’t necessary most of the time, especially in developing new product or marketing messages.

Think Skeptic

Never take no for an answer. For the sake of Simplicity, it’s a good idea to probe thorougly when you run into a negative response. It might just be that you’re asking someone to go above and beyond what’s normal – but that’s how you get above-normal results. If the are rules, chances are they can be broken.

It’s a rare idea in business that doesn’t run into some form of opposition, be it internal or external to the organization. Steve Jobs learned early that if you have a great idea, you need to ignore the negativity and concentrate on moving forward.

You must also go to extremes to ensure that those great ideas survive.

Think War

its good to have enemies.

Extreme times call for extreme measures. When your idea’s life is on the line, the last thing you want is a fair fight. Hit first. Use every fair and not fair weapon you have.

One of the most critical principles of Simplicity - dont held back.